On Sunday, August 27th, the third and final Braintree Bluegrass Brunch of the season will take place at the Braintree Hill Meetinghouse. Capping a fine summer of traditional music in a scenic setting, the season closer will feature Ida Mae Specker & The Heavy Nettles and Audrey Mae. This event is hosted collaboratively by three local non-profit organizations; Chandler Center for the Arts, Ridgeline Outdoor Collective, and the Braintree Historical Society.
The Braintree Bluegrass Brunch was established in 2018 by Braintree resident Zac Freeman, motivated by his love of music, enjoyment of the local community, and appreciation for the amazing setting of the Braintree Hill Meetinghouse. This year, Freeman handed off planning to the three organizations so that this popular event may continue more sustainably. While the event is open to the public and there is no admission fee, the organizers encourage people to give to support the Bluegrass Brunch series as well as the projects of each individual organization. Braintree Historical Society is currently raising funds to support the restoration of the 1845 Meetinghouse’s slate roof. Chandler Center for the Arts, under its new Executive Director Chloe Powell, is funding an expanded budget for community and youth programs, and The Ridgeline Outdoor Collective maintains a network of multi-use trails as well as running youth biking education programming. With recent floods, ROC has the added challenge of repairing the extensive trail system established by the organization.
The event begins with a group mountain bike ride organized and led by the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective taking off from the Meetinghouse at 10:00 am. Gates open at 11:00, when vendors will have food and drink available, and the music starts at noon. Food vendors will include Union Brook Farm, Moon & Stars Arepas Cart, ice cream from Kiss the Cow and beer from Bent Hill Brewery. The Braintree Historical Society Museum will be open throughout the event. The Arts Bus will on site as well with arts activities for the whole family!
The address of the Meetinghouse is 2756 Braintree Hill Road. Advance donations can be made at chandler-arts.org.